Thumbs up for Penelope - a cozy little bar in Downtown Oakland. Full bar w/ a wide variety of specialty cocktails and beers - cheers! Outdoor sidewalk seating w/heat lamps - nice. Friendly staff and courteous service - thank you. read more

Funny the timing of the new movie Repo Men - I should be on a list for a new liver directly. As a few others have mentioned, finding the place can be tricky - but look at it like it is a treasure hunt; or maybe finding a clean restroom to use in the city that doesn't require a key or a purchase. (My favorite is The Marriott on fourth.) Anyways... finding Penelope seriously pays off. I had a couple Oaktown Heat's since I am all about patronizing my local Hangar distillery and they are fantastic. Perfect amount of bite with a twist of orange. Service was great, too. Bar fellas took good care of us even though I am pretty sure I was fully cross-eyed by the time we rolled in there. Cool atmosphere, too. Not too crowded, not too loud. Just right. Plus the proximity to Bart is always a huge plus. I'll definitely be back. read more

What an adorable place! I'll chime in with everyone else who says that the bartenders are awesome and the drinks are knock-me-down fabulous. Between me and two girlfriends, we tried five different cocktails, and they were all yummy, plus the names were too cute! My favorite was the drink called "Los Pepinos de Amor." I don't think I could afford to spend an entire evening drinking at Penelope, but an after-work cocktail or three surely hits the spot. read more

I'm kind of glad I don't live in Oakland, because I would literally be at Penelope every day for their delicious cocktails! The use of fresh ingredients and interesting combination of flavors set them aside from any other regular bar or lounge. My favorite was the La Kristita - sooo tasty. Brought me back to my childhood summers in Hawaii - minus the vodka of course. Their Penelope with beet juice and tequila was surprisingly refreshing! As for the Jali Berry - never thought jalapeno would taste great in a cocktail, but paired with the gin, it was nice! I miss you Penelope! read more

I parked right in front of this cute little place today as I was dropping a friend off for dinner at Le Cheval. My plan was to wait at It's a Grind, which is next door, while he had dinner with his colleagues. However, when we stepped out of the car, I realized that we were standing in front of a bar; so, I decided to have a drink instead of coffee. First off, this place is super small and assuming; thus, it is almost unnoticeable. I was unable to secure the name of the establishment until I noticed a 'P' on the window and really studied the menu. Luckily, the ambiance makes up for the size. The bartenders are fairly nice, but the drinks are delicious. This is one of the newly established bars that use fresh fruit and other natural ingredients when making mixed drinks. I had a tasty extra dirty martini, and then one of their signature cocktails, the Pari Ti. Actually, I had two of them. Mmm.... There was live music as well, which was...cute; but not necessary, as they also play nice music overhead. We are looking forward to returning with a group of friends, and maybe we'll try an appetizer as well. read more

I admit it. I'm addicted to Penelope's. Partner and I go to this place at least twice a week now. We just LOOOVEEE the company of Tung and Johnny! I knew they were creative geniuses when I came in one night and asked them if they happened to have ice cream. They didn't have ice cream but they whipped up this SUPER delicious drink that really tasted like a slushy ice cream! z-o-m-g. Oh, the E&C is pretty amazing too. Whoever invented that (and named it) is a genius.... And get their steak sandwich. read more

I haven't eaten yet. Food looks good, and place may deserve 4 stars. But I'm not going beyond average at this point, and someone needs to bring down the rating with the 5-stars others have posted. This is far from 5-star. A 5-star bar would at least give me a beer in a frosty glass, and would never pour a 2nd beer into a used glass, especially when I switch what I am drinking (see below). Friendly owner and bartender. Barkeep gets a little confused and distracted at times. I asked for a Linden Street, was told they were out but I should try the Green Flash IPA (and I know that's a great beer). Oops, no Green Flash...OK give me a Liberty Ale...$5...what, no happy hour on beer? Sorry, Green Flash is our happy hour beer. But you're out of Green Flash! Sorry. Woman beside me asks for two glasses of water with no ice. Two scoops of ice...excuse me...nix the ice. Hands her one glass of water, no ice, and walks away. Barkeep to next customer...try this Oakland beer (aka Linden Street)...it's a hoppy lager (aka common lager) and is our happy hour special today. Me, to myself...Are you f'ing kidding me...you DO have the beer I asked for AND it's the happy hour special? No tip tonight (which saved me the amount I would have saved on happy hour). Nice space, nice sidewalk patio, and in an otherwise desolate part of downtown. We can use a few more options in this neighborhood. read more

Shortly after arriving at Penelope, I updated my facebook status. It read: Caitlin M. has beets in her cocktail. Several people liked my status. I liked my cocktail. And Penelope. PS: The address is deceiving. It's actually on the corner of 11th and Clay. read more

What a cool place in such an unsuspecting neighborhood in downtown Oakland. Similar to (dare I say it...) Cantina, in that they have a SOLID drink containing a housemade habanero vodka, which leaves your mouth and lips tingling with spicy aftertaste. I found th signature cocktail here wasn't as hot as Cantina's Laughing Buddah, but I'm sure the friendly bartenders would be happy to make it spicier for you upon request. At $4.50, it was hard to beat having a freshly mixed cocktail here during Yelp Drinks week. Just as refreshing, packing that yummy gingerness that will wake anyone up, and made with just as much love by their friendly mixologists. Really cool find in Oakland. Mellow on the late night, and good for small, intimate groups of friends (or a date). Can't wait to come back for more. read more

Not only do Tung and Johnny know how to make a drink, they provide some pretty decent entertainment as well. Both of these guys keep the place fun, hip and the place to be! Whether you want to grab a drink after work to unwind or have a get-together with your friends, Penelope is a great place to do it. Unique drinks, stylish and comfortable decor and just overall nice atmosphere. If you're in the mood for something custom-made just for you, I've seen both Tung and Johnny whip up some crazy delicious inventions using fresh fruits and ingenious creativity. Oh and if you get a chance, try their steak sandwich. Their custom marinated beef with the fresh Acme bread is a powerfully scrumptious combination. Have that with a Duvel Green (which they have on tap!) and you're good to go. read more

Bartenders: Great Drinks: Stellar and fresh and different Yelp discount: Sweetness Ambiance: Awful awful awful awful awful. The location is in what feels like a strip-mall (not a sexy place where people strip, but one of those Orange County feeling industrial spaces). I'd love to see this place in a much more appropriate location. Returning: probably not, but only because I'm apparently an ambiance snob. The drinks really were fun! read more

Loved it! Went here on Saturday with a friend vising from DC. He could not rave about it more. He compared the drinks to Bourban and Branch. The drinks are well thought out and simply amazing from first to last sip. Drinks: I wish I could remember the names of the drinks but I can only describe the two I tried. I had a lemon vodka drink with ginger infusion. It was like a lemon symphony swirling in my mouth. My friend had gin concoction with bits of ice floating in it. It had (according to Johnny the bartender) this olive sized pear fruit in the drink that was deeelicious. Food: Smoked Salmon Toast - Good combination of creme fraiche, picked shallot and toast. I wanted something light and this fit the bill. Apple Chorizo Sandwich - Simple yet amazingly delicious. Everything from the cheese to the apple and chorizo just came together amazingly well. Service: Johnny is the man! I almost felt bad for ordering food since he was the only one there. He hammered out amazing drinks for a small birthday party and still managed to get us food and our drinks. read more

Small but great atmosphere & yummy drinks! Off the beaten path, parking nearby but walking distance to Oakland city center...perfect for drinks after work or after shopping. read more

I really like this bar- it's small, has nice decor, and has outdoor seating (a huge plus in my book- and strangely hard to find in the bay area). The drinks were tasty- I had a blackberry marguerita- and friends liked their drinks too. One note: the place can be hard to find just by address- just look for it at the corner of Clay and 11th. You'll see the outdoor seating. read more

Nice cocktails and good service but nothing out of the ordinary. It was a bit corporate feeling...clean lines and glass... good for the crowd who likes granite counter tops in their lofts. I like my watering holes to have a litte more flavor and to be a little quieter. It isn't a place to go if you want to hear what the person sitting next to you is saying. read more

Intimate. Intimate. Intimate place. The three of us walked in and had a table to sit at. Yay. Nice drink selection. However, you have to order what is on the drink menu cause they will not make a drink thats not on there. My cousin asked for a bloody Mary, the bartender says that they don't make that. She told them that the bloody Mary is on their yelp page. He says, AND. That was rude. I ordered the Manhattan Project which was hella good read more

My impression from the yelp reviews was very different from my actual experience. I was expecting a dark, underground space that was super hard to find. Instead I found a modern, corporate feeling small, bright and cheery space that was easy to find. The drink menu consisted of a mixture of fresh squeezed fruit cocktails and interesting non-fruit combos. I couldn't resist the drink of the day which involved my favorite, yet underrepresented fruit, the guava. We sat outside sipping on our guava-based cocktails that were full of fresh guava flavor. It felt like being on vacation, except for the less-than-warm early evening temperatures. I could see myself becoming a Penelope regular if I worked at Ask.com, which is the building in which this spot is located. Lucky for me, it's just blocks from the 12th Street BART station and an easy detour from my daily commute home. read more

The folks at Penelope put together a great little spot. Nice outdoor seating area (fyi: street facing), great bar that is stocked with everything you could need, and two of the nicest bartenders (and assumedly, owners) you could meet. COCKTAILS Made with real care using fresh juice and herbs. BEERS Usually on tap: Racer 5 IPA, Black Butte Porter, Fat Tire Amber, etc. Sometimes there is an appearance of Stone beers. FOOD Good food. Really good when you look at this as being primarily a bar. Try the grilled cheese with fontina. read more

This place is small, modern, and cozy, with high warehouse ceilings. There weren't too many people here on a Saturday night. We didn't have to talk over anyone or any loud music. They have interesting drinks. There's a couple drinks on their menu which use jalapeno peppers and gives you a nice little kick. I ordered a nice girly drink which was quite good and not too sweet. Nice spot to close out a night. read more

Hot drinks! Literally spicy! The bartender/owner likes to spice up his signature drinks with habanero peppers. Yes, they have your usual beers, wine, and well drinks but why not be adventurous? My drink was yummy but had a kick! This place is tiny but the decor is clean and sleek and extends to a patio in front. It's like this place doesn't quite belong--to cool for this location (we would have missed this place had it not been the patio in front). Tiny as it is, this is a good place for small or large groups. I'm bringing more friends along next time... read more

Great bar close to downtown. Right below ASK! Tried the Chamangarita.. Very tasty! Super nice bartender, happily encouraging patrons to try cocktails.. read more

Penelope - Cocktail menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great spot to grab a delicious custom made cocktail after a soak at the local springs. Really lovely host, friendly energy all the way around here. I recommend the Tamarind Sour~ Yummy & well balanced. A little (very little) out of the way from downtown & the uptown locations, so it's an after hours gem... Located on Clay St between 11th & 12th. Residents of Domain Apartments, this IS YOUR local establishment!! read more

This place is great! I've only been here twice, but each time I have had good cocktails. When I commented to one of the bartenders that I liked Southern Comfort, he made sure to order that next time I went, even though he doesn't think it belongs there. That's some good customer service. Plus, I do think Southern Comfort is an excellent bourbon that belongs there. Long live Janice Joplin. read more

I live in the Grand Lake area, but keep promising myself to try things more in Downtown Oakland, so the other night, after yelping downtown spots, I suggested that my friend and I head down to check this place out. The parking was annoying, mainly because you have to pay through the snout now to park on the street until 8pm. 25 cents/7 minutes?! eek! The disappointment came with our food. They had this sort of small dish tapas thing going on....I didn't see any paninis. We ordered the stuffed tomato, an endive salad, the cheese platter, and 2 cocktails. The cocktails were good, but not amazing, and the food was just straight up not good, even verging on weird. The tomato was small and stuffed with feta cheese, not warmed, no herbage, just a tomato the size of a toddler's fist, with some trader joe's feta...nothing exciting whatsoever, $4. The cheese platter was just chunks of cheese, like you'd get at a work mixer appetizer buffet. And the endive salad was straight up bizarre...wilted endive greens with a few pieces of scattered walnuts and blue cheese crumbles....no oil, no dressing, no freshness, no nada. No nada being the operative phrase with the whole food thing in general. blah. Like I said though, drinks were good, and the people were nice, but it's also in a rather odd location for going out at night...in the side of a big office building. I think the folks that have given this place 5 stars must hate their jobs and feel so relieved to be drinking during lunch or the end of the day that they're just psyched regardless. Or maybe the panini sandwiches are just that good. read more

Hip & refreshing. Geared toward the woman professionals who are looking for a cutie pie place to grab a drink with the girls after an 8 hour day at the office. Recommended drinks: Blackberry Margarita read more

The type of cafe/bar one would stumble into on Las Ramblas! Small, quaint, comfortable with a long bar and patrons of all colors and ages kicking back to the soft Buddha-Bar like music that satisfies the ears and soul as the drink in hand soothes the rest. Everyone seems to know everyone else and the bartender and waitress are quick, polite and have great personalities. Come knowing what you want, or let the man behind the bar surprise you. Excellent happy hour, two spot on food choices daily and a place you can either recap the day you had, the night you will feast on later or just read the NY Times or El Pais. read more

Came here after work on a Tuesday evening with my two girlfriends. The bartender is super nice, funny, and hot. The service was awesome even though it was just him there! I ordered the La Kristita and the smoked salmon sandwich. La Kristita was soOo delicious. The salmon was a bit fishy, but still yummy. One of my friends ordered the apple chorizo sandwich which I liked so much better. I took three huge bites of it. :P My bill came out to be $19 + tip. I would say the only downside was how small the place was. I always talk too loud when I get a couple drinks in me and my friends had to keep shushing me. Other than that, it was an awesome evening with my ladies thanks to Penelope. read more

The only good thing about Penelope is it's proximity to my hubby's office, where we met after work the other night. We went to the bar around 5:30 and were informed that they were not serving food yet. Annoying, as I just wanted a small bite to go with my drink. I ordered the fresh Squeezed Limonatta, but was sorely disappointed. It was only 1/2 a squeezed lemon and 1/2 a squeezed lime topped with some club soda. Boring! With a $4 price tag, I except something more exciting. In addition, it was served in a tall skinny cocktail glass so I pretty much had about 5 sips of club soda. I should have just ordered a club soda and asked for a few wedges of citrus. Would have been cheaper and larger than the drink I was served. The other super annoying thing was the dice game going on at the bar between the bartender and a few patrons. About every 45 seconds, there was a loud smack of the dice cup followed by middle aged men screaming because someone had won and someone had lost. Super annoying. Luckily, my drink was gone in about 2 seconds and my husband drinks fast, therefore, we were able to get out of there quickly. read more

I wanted to try this bar because I heard the bartender looked like a Latino Stephen Dorff. I mean c'mon! I walked in and asked for a mojito and got a flat out "No", with no explanation given. That sort of put me off, but the bartender kept calling me "Boss", so I had a little flutter in the chonies. We settled on Fernet and King Cobra and things were okay, until some sort of youth baseball umpire came in spouting nonsense and non-sequiturs. He basically ruined the evening. On a good note, there was a older multi-cultural group, who were quite raucous and were playing an elaborate dice game. If it wasn't for them, I would have scored this a big fat ZERO. If this place had pizza rolls, I might bump it up a star. read more

Penelope - Avoid this dude - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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I *loved* Penelope. Even though we were there on a quiet night before a show at the Fox, the drinks and the food were really really tasty, and the service attentive. The steak sandwich was really nicely flavored, even though the toast shredded my mouth a bit. The chicken sandwich was good too. Since they don't have their menu online, I don't remember specifically which drink I got, but while it was conceptually a "girly" drink, but when I got it it was actually quite refined and yummy. Next time I go to a show at the Fox, I'd love to come back. Between Penelope and Flora, I am loving the downtown Oakland food scene! read more

My friend that lives nearby brought me here. At first glance, I probably would have walked right past it, and when we entered, it seemed a little small with just us 2 and 3 other patrons there, but as I was hungry, I agreed to a drink and a sandwhich. My friend ordered some raw tuna dish that I did not partake in, and we shared my order of a chorizo and apple sandwhich as well as hers of a steak sandwhich. The sandwhiches were VERY good and Tung (the bartender/chef at the time) was very kind, talkative, and explained where exactly he got the bread, meats, alcohol, etc. I can't even remember the name of the cocktail I got, but my friend got some rosemary concoction that was light and delightful. My cocktail was a bit more stiff, but I love that they use fresh fruit , pulp, and juice for these drinks. Thanks to Tung telling us about Hangar One vodka, we even went to the nearby distillery and had a great vodka tasting nearby the following week! read more

Great cocktails! We came for happy hour and got a discount. The bartenders were friendly and welcoming. The decor is hip and fun to look at. I recommend their cocktails, we will be back for more drinks. read more

Either the greatest thing that's ever happened, or something I'll be describing to a room full of AA members someday. That's how I would describe the opening of a bar in the building I work in. And such a nice little bar. Great drinks, nice selection of good beers, and delicious food. read more

I love coming here on Wednesday nights for the stand-up comedy. Classy place to catch the game after work. Great atmosphere, cool staff. Has everything I'm looking for in bar. Nice patio area, with heat lamps. read more

3.5 stars went the soft opening tonight. i thought it was a nice addition the downtown oakland area. it is located at the bas of an office building. i am sure they are going to get a lot of the office building crowd, but am not sure if they are going to get a lot of the uptown crowd. i felt the prices were reasonable. they were 9 bucks across the board which right in between a dive bar and a classy upscale joint. however, i dont feel the drinks were very strong or original. i had the following: Summertime: it had vodka, elderflower and cucumber. it was pleasant tasting but all i could really taste was the cucumber. Oaktown Heat: i liked this one better. i honestly dont remember what was in it (i know, i know...i totally suck at the whole cocktail thing) but i know that there was habanero vodka in it. this had a nice heat to it. the habanero did not bite immediately (as it souldn't) but built gradually until your lips were tingling. it was nice. i definitely plan on coming back, as you will be allowed to sit outside and drink in a week, which seems to be a rarity nowadays for whatever reason. read more

Great place to have a drink with co-workers, friends or just meeting new people. Bartender is super friendly and atmosphere is inviting and unpretentious. Plus my fruity cocktail was delicious. They do serve small bites like grilled cheese and a cheese board. Good place to mingle and watch a game on the t.v. They do have outdoor seating when weather permits and heat lamps. read more

Tiny bar here. You can get $2 off the cocktail menu during happy hour, which is great. I kind of felt like I was intruding because there was a surprise baby shower for one of the bartenders here. Everyone knew each other. Drinks are good here. I really like the Los Pepin del amor with the habernero rim. Would definitely come back here for the drinks. Place doesn't seem to get crowded. Note, they don't open to the public on the weekends. read more

Took my client here since he was quitting his job. Drinks were great, Juan the owner is cool too.

Ok, the truth is I was going to coffee next door and much to my surprise... there was this cute shiny new bar just sitting there. So, I for-went the coffee experience and went right to alcohol! I was not disappointed. They have great health-ish drinks. I had a drink that was made with fresh apple, pear and beet juice with taquilla! Soooo good. Then...Yes there was a then... I had a blackberry margarita with fresh blackberries. That was yummy too. My husband had a hibiscus martini and that was good too. There wasn't food there that day so can't say much about it. The bar tender felt sorry for us because we were hungry so he shared his own sandwich with us (which he made there). Yummy! Must go and visit and support the local bar! read more

This place is super cute, chill and fun to drop in for an after work (or workout) cocktail. My friends and I enjoyed ourselves and were so glad we stopped in. If I still lived in Cali...I'd be there more often. In fact, I wish I hadn't waited till my last visit to stop in. My only complaint is that there aren't any light snacks on the menu. There is a menu and I'm sure the food is delish but we really would have loved some nuts or popcorn to munch on while we drank. However, I definitely recommend stopping in... read more